The prison blog of an Orwellian unperson. As shown on National Geographic Channel's Banged Up/Locked Up Abroad episode Raving Arizona.

Question Time

Dear
Mr Attwood,

I'm
the student who walked out of your speech today and would just like to
apologise. I knew I was about to faint so I knew I had to stop myself from
either doing that or throwing up or worse.

Your
talk was incredible and opened up my eyes (especially as I have recently become
hooked on the TV show 'Prison Break'). What you had to say hit particularly
close to home as I had an uncle die from drug use so it is an emotive subject
for me as well.

I
just wanted to ask a few questions as I didn't get a chance to after your talk:

1.
Do you think the people who are in those types of prisons deserve that type of
treatment?

2.
Prison life must have been so different to your previous high-flying
millionaire lifestyle, how did you cope?

3.
Did you do anything bad in prison? In order to protect yourself from being
beaten up by other prisoners for example?

4.
Do you think it is the physically or mentally weak who are at most risk in
places like that? And how quickly do they adapt?

Thank
you very much for your time, I truly enjoyed your talk until my departure and I
can say that you achieved your aim of inspiring a young person not to do drugs
and mess with the law!

Thank
you once again,

Tom

My
response:

Tom,

Sorry
to read about your uncle. I can’t imagine what you and your family went
through. I’m glad you liked the talk. It's receiving messages like yours that
makes everything I went through seem worthwhile. I hope my story stays with you
and continues to influence you in positive ways. Now, onto your questions:

1
Prison shouldn’t be easy. It is a punishment. But it should be humane because when
a society treats its prisoners like animals some of them will behave like
animals when they return to society. The key to getting crime down is education
and rehabilitation, but US prisons offer none of that because they profit by
prisoners coming right back. They get around $50,000 per year per prisoner.
Scandinavia has the lowest reoffending rates in the world, and the most
education and rehabilitation in their prisons.

2
I coped through strong family support. By reading, writing, blogging and trying
to turn the situation into the educational opportunity of a lifetime. By
exercise, including yoga and meditation. By associating with prisoners who were
doing positive things or fun things like playing chess.

3
I stayed away as best I could from doing anything bad in prison. I had to stand
up for myself, but I never started any trouble.

4
Yes the physically and mentally weak are most at risk in prison. If they don’t
adapt fast, they suffer abuse from prisoners and guards. I saw it happening constantly
in there.